Shuffle off to Buffalo
by WindowChild
Summary: After the existence of Olympians is discovered by mortals, Percy and Annabeth must go into hiding to escape capture.
1. Three Months Gone

A/N: So since you're kind of being dropped in on the middle of things, just realize that everything will be explained as the story continues.

"Percy?" Annabeth sat up, brushing her hand over her eyes. From what she could tell, she was stuck in midair with her fiancé and his horse. Not the best predicament, after all they'd gone through the night before.

"Oh good, you're up. Blackjack's taking us somewhere safe."

"I figured as much," she replied, giving Percy a swift kiss. "Where, though?"

He glanced all around them, and then said, "I'm not sure exactly. Thalia signaled."

"Thalia?" Annabeth felt nerves seize her slightly; Thalia was supposed to be in hiding. "It must be bad then."

Percy tried to look reassuring. "Don't worry yet, we don't know everything." However, the news of the huntresses disbanding in hopes of safety _had _reached their ears, and Annabeth felt it was plenty cause for worry.

"And remember, she still has Artemis's protection," Percy said. "And she'd tough. I'm sure she's fine."

Annabeth nodded. "You're right." She sighed. They probably should have been more concerned about their other friends, whose fates were unknown, but worrying had become a bit of a hazard in it of itself. It was time consuming and distracting, and greatly impaired one's judgment. And seeing as it had also become rather chronic due to the circumstances, Percy had trained himself to coax he and Annabeth away from it, whenever possible.

"How long?" Annabeth asked. They'd started keeping count, so that they never forgot.

"Three months," Percy replied. "To the day, in fact."

"Wow."

"I know," Percy breathed, in response. Only three months ago the mortals were an ignorant, harmless race. Then something had happened. No one knew what, or what had triggered it, but the knowledge of Olympians had spread in ripple effect. Rumors soon became headlines, and the half bloods had waited around nervously for people to come up with conclusions.

Everyone had expected that the conclusion would negate the suspicions; it had not occurred to anyone that the mortals might exceed expectations. And they did, with flying colors that left the demigods reeling for days after. News reports, picketing; they thought the Gods and their kin were a danger.

The Gods had done all that they could, but it hadn't made much of a difference. They couldn't directly interfere with free will, and that seemed to be all that was egging the mortals on. They learned a miraculous amount about the Gods, and had proceeded to try and destruct every little piece they could.

Olympus was in distress. Or nonexistent, to be more specific. Once they citizens had believed, it had been easier for them to find the secret elevator and destroy the Gods' chambers. Not even the Gods could fight against an entire city. And it soon became more than just New York; the mortals rallied, recruiting one and all who felt that demigods were a hindrance and danger to society. The story of the recent Titan War hadn't helped much.

Their target was unclear, though. After decimating Olympus and thus scattering the Gods, they seemed to leave them alone. They wanted half bloods, and so it was half bloods that they targeted.

Annabeth said that it was driven by jealousy. The Gods, they were on another level, whereas the demigods were easy targets. The mortals wanted what they had, but since they couldn't get it, they did what they thought was the next best thing - they tried to wipe the demigods out.

"Over here, boss?" Blackjack said.

"Looks good," Percy replied. He gripped Annabeth's hand tightly, ready for the two of them to jump off together. "Thanks a lot, Blackjack."

"Anytime. Listen, I know I'm supposed to hide and everything, but if you ever need me, I'll be around."

Percy patted his fur. "Thanks, Blackjack."

"Where is she?" Annabeth asked, after Thalia failed to appear for a few minutes.

"I don't know," Percy admitted. He hated that he couldn't be more comforting to her; there was hardly good news anymore, though. All of their relations, including both their mortal parents, were missing. No one was trustworthy, nowhere was safe. It was as bad as Hades ever could have been.

"Annabeth!" Thalia shouted, sprinting towards them at high speed. "Percy!" Her hair was jaggedly cut and her feet bare, but she looked delighted to see them. "Oh, thank the Gods! For a second I thought something happened to you guys!"

"Thalia!" Annabeth felt herself sag with relief; at least they knew that _someone_ was okay. The three hugged all at once, soaking up as much strength from one another as they could.

When they broke apart, Thalia looked tearful. "Chiron's dead."

"What?" Percy asked, his alarm more of a priority than his grief.

"I found him, they got to him. You guys, we can't stay here long."

Annabeth felt as if her chest was frozen; too much was happening all at once. "What about everyone else?" she asked. She was grateful when she felt Percy move behind her, so she could lean on him. If they didn't have each other, she didn't know what she'd do.

"I don't know," Thalia replied, her voice breaking. "I haven't from Grover or Tyson in months."

"What about Rachel? And Nico?" Percy asked. He locked an arm gently around Annabeth, pulling her close to him. They were safest when their proximity was nearest.

"I don't know about Rachel," Thalia replied. "If she found some of her old friends, she might be okay."

_Old friends_, Percy thought. From what, elementary school?

"And I have a theory about Nico. He might be hiding in Hades."

Percy thought it over. It was plausible for a lot of people, technically. Even Hades should be hospitable in times like these.

"Yeah," Percy said finally, "Maybe. What about the Gods?"

Thalia sank into a sitting position, her expression one of defeat. "I haven't heard a thing. Not from Artemis, not from… my dad. Not from any of them."

Annabeth swallowed hard. The Gods were weakest when separated from each other; their power wouldn't be the same now. "Do you know anything about the mortal parents of demigods?"

Thalia shook her head, giving Annabeth's hand a squeeze. "I'm sorry. Everything's kind of in chaos right now, and no one's sure. They don't seem to have any goals really, besides killing us, so they should be fun."

Annabeth exhaled a little bit. Their parents would be alright, then. It was a relief, although not much of one after all that had happened.

"So where have you guys been?" Thalia said, trying desperately for a smile. "I've only heard talk."

"We've been around," Percy replied. "We've fought where we could, and mostly tried to escape capture. Last night," he shook his head, sadly. "Last night a couple of us got captured in the streets. We were there, and they almost got us too."

Thalia looked upset. "I was afraid you'd say something like that."

"What? Why?" Percy asked. He understood what she meant in the general sense, but had a feeling she was honing in on something more specific. He glanced at Annabeth nervously, concerned about her. She'd become so quiet, it was unlike her.

"Percy, I found Clarisse the other day, and she said that she thinks you two are being targeted."

"Us?" Annabeth asked. She sounded tired, rather than surprised, and Percy kissed her forehead. He'd ask Thalia about her strange behavior, later.

Thalia nodded. "Yeah. Because of the war, there's a lot more written information on you guys that they've found. And Percy, you've blown up quite a few schools." She smiled wryly. "It makes sense, really. Percy, you're a big three child."

"So are you."

"Yeah, but I lay pretty low. You guys, not so much."

"Well, we will from now on," Percy promised. "We'll try harder."

Thalia shook her head. "It's not just that. _Every_ time you go out in public, you put yourself in danger."

"What do you want us to do, then?" Percy asked.

Thalia pursed her lips. "I – I had an idea. But you're not going to like it."

"Try me," Percy deadpanned.

"Fake identities."

"_What_?"

Annabeth echoed this, albeit with a bit less vehemence.

Thalia shrugged. "Just a suggestion. I knew you wouldn't like it, though."

"Wait, wait a sec," Percy said. "Tell us more, maybe…"

He avoided Annabeth's furious gaze. She didn't want to, he knew, but their safety came first.

"Come up with new names," Thalia said. "I can get a house for you guys, and you can start lives together. It would be the way it always was, only you wouldn't be Percy and Annabeth."

"We're engaged." Annabeth spoke so softly, that Percy had to repeat it for her in order for Thalia to hear.

"Congrats," she said, softly. There was a pregnant pause, and then she said, "You could get married, you know."

Annabeth stared straight ahead, not looking at either friend. She wanted that, but not when they couldn't be themselves.

"Listen guys," Thalia said, in a low voice. "Please do this. _I _can't keep trying to stop this if I don't know you guys are safe."

Percy tenderly turned Annabeth's chin with his thumb. Her eyes pleaded with his not to agree, but he hoped he communicated the fact that he _needed_ to. He didn't think he could wake up every day, knowing that they might not see the night.

"We will," he said, at last. He continued to hold onto Annabeth, knowing that he had broken what was left of her spirit.

Thalia looked so immensely relieved that he felt better, about it. At least he'd made her happy. She leaned over then, embracing them both with all her strength. "Stay here, alright? I'll be back in a few days with the keys to your new home."

Percy felt tears pushing at his eyelids. For Chiron, he supposed. Or maybe for all of their dark fates. "Thanks, Thalia. We'll be waiting."

Annabeth merely hugged her again, unable to speak. Too much had happened, too much of what she knew was being destroyed. She knew that Percy and Thalia understood though, and for this she was glad.

"Bye guys," Thalia said. She gave one last wave, before walking away and leaving them in silence.

"I'm sorry," Percy said at once, giving Annabeth a hug. "I know – I know –"

"Stop," she whispered, placing a finger to his lips. "Don't be, I understand."

"Really?"

"Of course." She shrugged. "Desperate times…"

Percy nodded, fear nibbling away at his chest. The old Annabeth would not have understood.

Her acceptance, it marked the day with grim audacity for him. The day Chiron ceased to live, the day Annabeth became agreeable, the day they took on whole new lives. _And only three months gone. _


	2. Funeral for a Friend

After a few days of waiting, Thalia returned as promised. She looked haggard, but refused to say what had happened on her journey. They knew it couldn't have been good.

She handed them a deed to a two-story cottage in Buffalo, and told them to stay there until they were told otherwise. In other words, until the waters were clear once again. It could be months, it could be years.

"Try not to contact anyone," she said, walking several steps ahead of them. She was going to help settle them before setting off again. "I know it will be hard," she said, "but you don't want to put anyone in danger."

"Okay," Percy said, sighing. He wanted badly to speak with Grover or Tyson, but if they couldn't, they couldn't.

"But," Thalia continued, turning her head part way, "I asked that Clarisse come over so that we can hold a memorial for Chiron."

"Clarisse?" Percy repeated, clearing his throat. He hadn't seen her in a number of years.

Thalia nodded. "She's one of the few who's relatively around. If anything bad happens, my guess is she'll come and help."

Percy wanted to ask Thalia why she was acting so rigid and professional, but decided not to open any wormholes. They had enough problems without having to deal with their personal ones.

Percy put an arm around Annabeth, when he noticed her wobbling. She looked pale and weak; it worried him. "Want to sit for a while?" he asked, gently.

She shook her head, closing her eyes ever so slightly. "No, I'm fine. Let's get to the house."

She was so resigned, it was troublesome. Percy made brief eye contact with Thalia, trying his best to convey his concern. She would understand, he hoped. At the moment all he wanted was a suggestion on how to take care of Annabeth.

"We can take a train from here," Thalia said, arching her back. "I don't think anyone will notice us."

Annabeth blanched, frowning as slightly as she could. She remembered the days when 'being noticed' never crossed their mind as a danger.

"What happened to camp?" she asked.

"Huh?" Thalia said. Annabeth hadn't spoken in several hours, and Thalia hadn't been ready to answer her.

"What happened to Camp Half Blood?" Annabeth repeated, annunciating each syllable.

"Abandoned," Thalia said, staring at her lap. "Dionysus is gone, Chiron's dead… no one's there. I'm sure the campers have all left. It will have been the first place that the mortals checked."

They sat in grave silence, all light-hearted conversation used up. One dreadful question at a time was enough to tire them.

"What should we do?" Percy asked. He was curious, despite the situation.

"What do you mean?" Thalia replied.

"In… our lives," Percy said, shrugging. He wasn't sure what to call it. "What do we do?"

A hint of a smile appeared on Thalia's glossless lips. "You can get jobs, if you want. You can get married." She squeezed Annabeth's shoulder.

Percy grinned as well, thinking over the possibilities. "We can start our lives," he whispered.

Annabeth stared blankly between the others. She knew they were trying to cheer her up; she knew that everything could be fine if she let it. She was too angry to let it go, though. Pretending everything was okay – she just couldn't do it. Being herself was too hard, when it was _being herself_ that was putting them in danger. She felt out of place, even in her own skin.

"Great," she lied, crunching her teeth into a smile. "I can't wait."

Minutes later, the train slowed to a halt. They'd arrived in Buffalo.

Annabeth looked around, scrutinizing every paint chip of their surroundings. It was nice, but nothing she was used to. A new town, to which she was supposed to acclimate herself. It was too exhausting; she didn't want to try.

"Let's go," Percy whispered, kissing the back of her hair. "It's nice, right?"

Annabeth nodded, her silence unintentional, for once. She was too absorbed by Buffalo, and its sheltered appearance. _Sheltered._ Now that was something positive. She could breathe, at the very least.

"It's pretty," she said blandly, staring up at their new home.

Thalia looked at her, smiling. "You think?"

"Yeah, it's great," Percy put in. "Thanks so much."

She stood between them, putting an arm on each of their arms. "I'm glad you think so. I did my best." The three stared silently up at the cottage. "Want to go inside?"

"Sure," Percy answered, lacing his hand through Annabeth's. He had a feeling that her entering would be reluctant, at best.

"The rooms are nice," Percy answered. He wondered when his vocabulary had become so incredibly limited. 'Nice'. Nothing was fantastic, but everything was adequate. It was a painful way to live.

Annabeth nodded along, running the tips of her fingers against the smooth paint. It was nearly seamlessly done, although the bright yellow was not to her taste. "There's a kitchen, den and dining room," she said. "It's great." She didn't even attempt to smile, and Thalia looked at her for another few moments.

"I'm glad," she said, after a while. She put her arm around Annabeth. "I just want you guys to be happy."

Percy smiled. "I know." Then, more softly, "Thanks."

* * *

It was three days after this that Clarisse arrived. She was thinner, her hair cut short. Her face was vacant of any expression, and her clothes looked unwashed. It was clear that her circumstances were no better than Thalia's, if not worse.

"Hi," Percy said, sticking his thumbs into his pockets. He had an odd desire to hug her, as she was another familiar face, but held back. "How are you?"

Clarisse's lips thinned, in the essence of a smile. "Fine, I guess. As fine as I could be. What about you guys?" She gave a little wave to Thalia, whom she'd been much closer with over the years.

"Oh, we're good too," Percy said. He tilted his head. "I guess," he added. Annabeth's forlorn expression contradicted this, and Clarisse glanced at her with worry.

"How's Chris?" Percy asked.

Clarisse smiled for real now. "He's at home with Susan, our daughter."

"Congratulations," Percy said.

"Thanks." Her expression sobered, her eyes traveling across the room. "I haven't been back in a few weeks. I miss them." It was direct and unemotional, but Percy's heart went out to her all the same. He didn't know what he'd do if he and Annabeth were apart.

"So, we're going to set a marker for Chiron, aren't we?" Clarisse asked.

Thalia nodded. "I – I heard about him from Connor."

"I thought you said you found him?" Percy asked. He'd spent several hours thinking about how awful that must have been for her.

She gulped. "Connor, he said he found his hoof. He showed it to me."

Percy decided to be skeptical, as a sort of pseudo-optimism. "Then –"

"No, Percy," Thalia interrupted. "Don't. Trust me, we're sure."

"He would have been at camp, protecting the kids," Clarisse spoke up. "No one could survive that." Protecting the kids. That did sound like Chiron.

"Want to do it?" Thalia asked, her voice soft.

"Sure," Percy replied, bracing himself. "What are we going to do?"

"I thought we'd each say something," Thalia said. "And then we can –" she stopped, thinking. "We can't set a marker, they might find it."

"We can set an unidentifiable one," Percy suggested. "With a message, no names."

She considered this. "That sounds doable. Clarisse?"

Clarisse nodded. "Yeah."

Percy was careful to slide his arm around Annabeth's waist. He was trying hard, he really was. He was hoping that maybe she just didn't feel comfortable talking with the others around, although this made no sense. She'd known Thalia for longer than she'd known him, and he knew the two often talked about personal matters. There was something else going on with her.

"You're okay?" he asked.

"No," she replied, her voice brittle. "We're about to hold a memorial for Chiron, of course I'm not okay."

"Sorry," he muttered, giving her a squeeze. He wanted to say that he'd meant beyond that, but decided to wait. She was clearly upset about something else, too.

They stood around a seemly random patch of earth. They took turns digging, and then stuck a stone into the ground. They didn't carve anything, and as it turned out, no one spoke. No one cried, either. Percy would have, but he didn't want to be the only one. He'd wait until he was alone.

Clarisse and Thalia's expressions were identical. Grim, but with the bitter knowledge that they'd see worse in the days to come. It was them who had been the shining warriors, doing all they could to save the race of demigods. It hadn't worked, but their efforts had been brave and commendable. Had they not been paying their respects, Percy would have made a point to thank them.

Annabeth… Percy did not know how she felt. For how upset she'd seemed moments earlier, she appeared almost passive. Her eyes looked far away, as if her thoughts were miles away from the stone in the earth.

Clarisse drew a shaky breath, turning to her friends. "Are you ready to go inside?"

"Sure," Thalia replied. She headed through the door with surprising speed, evidently glad to be gone from the memorial. Percy couldn't remember if this was something he'd ever noted about her.

Clarisse left next, eyes flickering ever so slightly to the couple. The three hardly knew each other, anymore. Percy tried to smile at her, but failed miserably. She vanished without another word.

"Listen," Percy said, pressing himself next to Annabeth. "When you want to talk, uh, we can."

She looked at him for a long moment. Too tired, too sick, too _done_ to agree or to thank him. She could hardly speak any longer. It felt as if her violation of a body was closing in on itself, compressing her lungs so that she could not breathe. Under mortal laws, she should no longer exist, and her vital signs were making sure she knew it.

She merely nodded, allowing him to wrap her up in his arms. It was her only protection. Even in the quiet of Buffalo, Percy was her only true shelter.

A/N: Thanks so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Reviews would be loved & appreciated!

: )

-Abbie


	3. The Dark Ages

A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed. You guys are awesome! I hope you enjoy.

"I'll get it," Annabeth said quietly, to no one in particular. Percy was upstairs, and she doubted he'd even heard the doorbell ring.

She silently unlocked the door and pulled it open, revealing a young man in a tracksuit. "Uh hello…" he muttered, rubbing at a growing beard. "You're new on the block?"

They'd been on there for nearly a month, so 'new' was a relative term. She nodded anyway.

"Right," he said. "Well, my dad's in charge of the town's council. Ralph Rawlins, have you heard of him?"

Annabeth shook her head. Except for food shopping and the occasional job-hunting, she and Percy seldom left the house. They were prisoners to their apparent safe haven.

"Alright," the man drawled, "Well, ya will. He runs pretty much everything around here. Anyway, here you go." He handed her a flier.

She looked it over, eyes widening. "What is this?"

"Oh, the Demigod Hunters information board. If you've got any questions, just call. We've gotten a couple reports about some of them trying to sneak in here, but we're doing our best to make sure they're found out." He gave a nod of determination. Then, misinterpreting her expression, he continued, "Don't you worry, though. So far, nothing bad's happened. We think they're just hiding."

"Good – good to know," Annabeth replied, her entire body trembling. "Thank you." She pulled an acting job better than she'd ever thought she could, and put on a smile. "Can I call you if I have questions?"

"Sure," the man replied, tipping his baseball cap. "Nice meeting you."

"You too," she said. He turned away and strode down the path, and Annabeth promptly slammed the door. She sunk to the floor, shaking and terrified. Even when they were 'safe', they weren't. Thalia hadn't been kidding about the 'no contact' rule.

"Annabeth?" Percy hurried down the stairs. They hadn't really talked about anything yet, and he had tried to make up for it by being abnormally attentive. With every unusual sound or sight, he ran to her side. It was sweet, although it wasn't doing her much good. "Is everything okay?"

For once, she didn't pretend. She shook her head and handed him the flier, trying as hard as she could to calm down. This was different than the things they saw in the paper. Those, they were painful. They were snide and cruel and a host of other terrifying things, but this… they were being hunted, as a species. And Annabeth hated how _ashamed_ she felt.

"Aw, I'm sorry," Percy replied. He didn't seem nearly as upset as she was, and she frowned.

"This doesn't bother you?" she asked, her voice weak.

He sat beside her, leaning against the wall. "Of course it does. But honey…"

She grimaced. They'd dated for eight years, and used pet names only a handful of times. He was trying too hard, and it irked her.

"You have to let this fear go," he said, whispering. "Nothing's going to happen to us, I swear."

She nodded, not believing him in the slightest. She was too tired to fight him on it though, to ask uselessly about their other friends. They hadn't heard from Thalia or Clarisse since they'd left, and they still hadn't heard from Grover or the others at all. Their parents were missing, as far as they knew, and there was absolutely no guarantee that _any_ of them were going to survive this. But sure, she'd listen to him make faulty promises, only because she knew that it was out of love. He'd do anything to keep her hanging above rock bottom, even if it meant lying to her. It was the final mark of how much things had changed, and it nearly broke her.

"Okay," she said, aloud. She tested the word, and said it again, "Okay." Slowly, she stood. Her legs felt like putty beneath her, but she somehow made it to the couch.

"Did – did the guy say anything else?" His face finally showed a shade of worry, and Annabeth felt badly about how brave he was being for her.

"Not that I remember," she said, honestly. "Did the paper?" She'd stop reading it days ago.

"Uh, not about anyone we know, no…" He was hiding something, and they both knew it, but she didn't ask again.

Annabeth's feeling had become so paradoxical that she could hardly stand it. On the one hand, she wanted desperately for things to be the way they once were. All banter and electricity, she'd loved it, and she hadn't known how much until recently. But then, she hardly felt comfortable being herself anymore. The fliers and the ads, they made her feel dangerous. She never felt comfortable; not with Percy, not alone.

"I love you." She said it out of habit, wanting to make sure that she still could.

"Hey," Percy said, quietly. He took her hand, giving it a squeeze. "Back at you. I mean, I love you too. Sorry." He grinned.

When she couldn't return the expression, he pulled her over, so that she was leaning against his chest. "What would make you happy?" he asked, running his fingers through her blonde locks.

"I don't know…" her voice almost broke, and she shut her eyes. It was so much easier not to see.

Percy stared at the darkened wall. He knew what would make it better, and he hated that he couldn't give it to her. Their house – it was pretty much in shambles. Neither of them had landed a nearby job, and they couldn't risk a commute, so they were pretty much living off of minimal savings.

The lights were constantly kept off – to save on electricity – and they used candles to light the rooms. They got the cheap food, and Annabeth hadn't bought a book in months. There was nothing to look forward to; no bright light at the end of the tunnel. And Percy hated how he couldn't take care of her.

It was a medieval notion, maybe, but he felt the guilt nonetheless. She couldn't rely on him the way he wanted her to, and it broke his heart. The people who were doing this to them – he truly had no empathy for them. It was a rare sentiment for him, but it naturally arose after all he'd witnessed. They just kept at it, never pausing or giving them a moment's rest. They hated them for _who they were_, and Percy never thought that such a thing could bring that kind of hardship.

"Annabeth," he said slowly, continuing to stroke her hair. "Let's elope."

"What?" she sprung up from the couch, startled. Percy beamed. It was the most lively he'd seen her in half a year. _Success_.

A/N: Reviews are motivation, please leave them! I can't promise more this week, since I have finals, but I'll try as hard as I can. Endless thanks for reading!


	4. As Long As You're Mine

A/N: Two finals down, two to go! In attempted celebration, I'm updating. Thanks so, so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I love you guys!

"What?" Annabeth said again, more softly. She put her hands up to Percy's face, as if to examine him more closely. His cheeks were warm to the touch, and she almost smiled. He seemed so earnest.

"Let's elope," Percy said, mimicking her hushed voice. He was panting, the adrenaline getting to him. Marriage. Stability. It was still something they both wanted; finally, a dream that could be made real.

Annabeth stared silently for another moment before nodding. They could actually do this, they could get married. Even if it wasn't the right time or the way they'd always wanted it, it was still _something_.

"Let's get dressed," Annabeth said. Her momentary elation sunk a little lower as she realized that she had no wedding dress.

"No, come on," Percy murmured, holding tightly to her wrist. "Don't put on anything fancy, what you're wearing is fine. Please, let's go just go. We can drive to Niagara Falls and have it done tonight." His gaze was pleading, begging her not to question it. If she obsessed, if she analyzed the lack of shine to the occasion, it would all be ruined.

For a moment, there was an understanding between them. They both knew that this wasn't what they wanted: a secret marriage in the dead of night, without their friends or family. It was the antithesis of everything that they constantly hoped for, of all wishes to be a part of something. There would be no dress and tux, no honeymoon to look forward to. And worst of all, they'd then have to return to the same life that they left behind. But still, after an instant of recognition that their miracle was make believe, Annabeth consented. After all Percy had done to keep her safe and happy, she couldn't refuse him this.

"Let's go," she echoed him.

They left the house, carefully locking the doors and pulling the blinds. It would either raise suspicion or drop it, but neither of them was prepared to worry about which it might be.

"Are you okay?" Percy asked, noticing her subdued expression. He felt his chest tighten uncomfortably; he had hoped that an engagement might cheer her up.

Annabeth gave a tight-lipped grin, nodding her head to him. It had become the incessant question, reaching Annabeth's ears at least three times a day. It was sweet, and she never denied that fact, but she sometimes missed the oblivious Percy. He had made a nice companion too. And the fact that he was becoming everything she wanted… it scared her, just a little. That should never have happened, just like mortals never should have discovered their very existence.

"Do you have your knife?" Percy asked.

"Why?" She looked up sharply, eyes glued to the road. No one was in sight. She glanced back to Percy fretfully.

"No, no," Percy said, gently calming her. "No reason I asked, just… security, I guess."

She nodded. "Of course I have it."

"Good." He smiled, completely unforced. "I can't wait."

"Me neither." Her words felt churned though, unlike his. She could not summon the energy to be sincere. A layer of tension settled murkily into car. Not between the couple, exactly, but all around them.

"Three miles to go," Percy muttered. He turned his head ever so slightly. "I'm jittery."

"That's normal," Annabeth said blandly.

"Yeah," Percy replied. He knew that, of course, he'd just been trying to make things feel easier. Marriage jitters. Those were normal at least.

For a moment, he panicked. What were they going to say their names were?

"Um, Annabeth?"

"Mmm," she replied. He noticed for the first time that her eyes were shut. She'd done that, lately, when she was trying to block things out. His throat narrowed uncomfortably.

"What were the names Thalia told us to use?"

"Mmm?"

"As… you know, fake identities? If we ever got jobs or anything?"

"Amy Cass and Peter Johansen. Why?" She opened her eyelids, realizing the answer before Percy could reply.

"Oh please Percy, no… We can't use fake names."

"I think it's the only way," Percy said. His tone was grim, and Annabeth knew that he hated it just as much as she did.

"It won't be real that way," Annabeth croaked, her voice meager. She found it hard to speak under the crushing chain of disappointments. No dress. No friends. No honeymoon. No real names? It was hardly them, then.

"I know. I'm so sorry." It was simple, but she knew how entirely genuine it was. His eyes were pained; all he'd wanted was to make her happy, and now she wouldn't be, regardless.

"It's okay," Annabeth murmured softly. For once, she would lie to comfort _him_. "Stop the car."

His expression of anguished failure tore at her heart a bit, but she waited until the car was pulled over to hug him. _And he'd thought she wanted to go home and forget about it. _

"What's this for?" Percy asked, breathing in her scent. They were so close now, closer than they'd been in weeks. Usually it was he who hugged her; this time the embrace was mutual.

"I love you so much Percy," Annabeth replied, forgoing a true answer.

Percy shut his eyes, trying to block out everything except for her touch. This time, he could tell that _she_ meant it, and it was enough to make him never want to let go.

"I love you too," he said, at last, realizing that he'd only said it in his head.

"I'm ready," Annabeth said, still not pulling away. "We can get married as Amy and Peter, it doesn't matter to me."

"Of course it does," Percy said, gently rubbing her back. "It should. It matters to me too."

"Maybe," Annabeth said, sighing. "But as long as it's _actually_ you and me who are together, I don't care what we're called."

And Percy accepted this. He told himself that this meant she was okay, ignoring the fact that he knew this wasn't so. She wasn't 'better', she was merely doing this for him. They could survive that way, though, Percy realized. If they took turns sacrificing things for one another, perhaps they could withstand the cruel opposition.

"You want to keep driving?" Percy asked. He didn't want to let her out of his arms, but the only way to move proverbially forward would be to do so literally as well.

"Yes," Annabeth replied. She did not shift away though, and so they remained where they were. They didn't have to move yet, Percy supposed.

However, their quiet solace of warmth was interrupted by a cold voice. "Roll down your window please, I need to see your drivers' license."

A/N: Anyway, that's it for now! Please, please review; it will help to make my finals week a little sunnier!


	5. Danger

A/N: Hi everyone! Here's the chapter, I hope you enjoy!

"Oh sure," Percy said. He prayed to the gods that the policeman couldn't hear his chest thudding. Knowing it would be much worse if he refused, he reached into his wallet and took out the card. _Perseus Darien Jackson. _The first name alone would give him away, if nothing else did. "Is there a problem sir?" he asked, trying to breathe as controlled as he could. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was speeding." He realized that it sounded more sarcastic than anything else, as he'd been pulled over. The officer was going to think he was a smartass.

"No," the policeman replied, forgoing the comment. "Just a formality. Sorry for the inconvenience." He frowned at the license, and then turned his attention back to the car. As discreetly as he could, Percy slipped his hand through Annabeth's. She was shaking worse than he was.

"Where're you from, son?" he asked, now suspicious.

"New York," Percy replied. "I just moved to Buffalo a couple of months ago."

"Welcome to town," he said coldly. "Listen, do you have any proof of your identity?"

"My identity?" Percy asked.

"Yeah," the officer said, now glaring unabashedly. "We've had some _half bloods_ trying to sneak there way through town. It's my job to make sure that you're not one of them."

Percy felt his heart jump, hitting painfully against his lungs. His pride was so dominant that he _almost_ felt more offended by the repulsed way 'half bloods' had been said, than he felt afraid about their capture. _Almost_.

"You can call my stepfather," he blurted out. He'd lost track of Paul, just as he'd lost track of his mother. "Paul Blowfis. Principal of Goode High, in the city."

"Stepfather?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"Yes," Percy replied, applying a layer of affronted iciness to his tone. "My father passed away when I was eight. You have a problem with that?"

"You've met him then?" the policeman replied, "Your father? You've met him?"

"Yes," Percy repeated, crossing his arms and letting Annabeth's fingers slip through his.

"What about your mother, you're birth mother. You've met her?"

"Yes," Percy said, yet again. If he remained cool and calm, perhaps they would be okay.

"Alright," the policeman sighed. "Well, I'm afraid I can't just take you're word for it. You seem okay, though, so just wait here while I go and get my testing equipment. It will only take a few minutes."

"Okay, Sir," Percy said, "Thank you."

He strode back to his patrol car, and Percy's ears buzzed with thoughts. Their options: leave, and set all of Buffalo after them, _or_ wait, and be turned in for sure. Neither choice seemed too promising.

"Annabeth, what do you want to do?"

She'd always been the voice of sanity in his life, and he hoped she still could be. He knew that under the depression and the developing inferiority complex, was the old Annabeth. She was still herself, she was just hardened by circumstances. He could reach her, he knew he could.

"Annabeth, Wise Girl, listen to me." He took her hands in his again, squeezing them as tightly as he could. "I need you to think. What do you think we should do?"

Their eyes met, and Percy expected some sort of epiphany. But no, all he saw was her doubt and her sadness; no trace of the brainy, reasonable girl he'd once known. "Annabeth…" he said again. "I can't do this. Please, please, help me." In truth, he wasn't afraid for himself. He was invulnerable, they couldn't really hurt him. But Annabeth… even with her breathtaking skill, she seemed so easy for them to hunt. It scared him more than fear for his own life possibly could have.

"Annabeth," he pleaded, once again. If he just kept saying her name, maybe she'd wake up. "Annabeth."

"Percy," she said, speaking at last. "I don't know. I don't _know_ what we should do."

It was honest and with absolute clarity, and it nearly drove Percy over the edge. "Well, you have to!" he shouted. "I can't do this with out you. I'm sorry, but I can't. Annabeth!" He held her face between his palms, searching it for some, _any_ trace. None was there to be found.

"Is everything okay?" the policeman asked, his calculating eyes zeroing in on them. And in three words, their choice made for them. He was back, it was too late to run.

"Fine," Percy replied. "My fiancé's just a little upset about the delay to our marriage."

"Marriage? Oh, I'm sorry to be keeping you." He continued to stare at them, and in a heartbeat Percy knew what he was looking for. "Where's the ring?" The man grinned, his eyes glinting with a sadistic sort of pleasure. "She looks pretty. You shouldn't have been so cheap."

In the moment it took for Percy to blush and fold into himself, Annabeth came to life. Her grey eyes flashed, her fingers soaring to her knife. She climbed over Percy, and he caught her wrist just in time. Impulsiveness. It was usually his problem, not hers. He didn't want them to get thrown in prison over something as simple as adrenaline.

"What did you say?" Annabeth hissed, obeying Percy's tug at her arm. She stayed put, eyes locked upon the officer's face.

"Nothing hon, just saying your boyfriend might have wanted to do it proper. I didn't mean anything by it." He rubbed a hand over his graying hair. "Anyway, _Perseus_," Percy seethed, hearing the scorn in his tone, "I just need your finger here. It will only take a small pinprick."

"That thing's been sterilized?" Percy asked. It was the most ludicrous thing he could think of, but at least it stalled then. He didn't know how they'd managed to develop a freaking _blood test_, but if they had, it was probably dead on.

"No," the officer said, laughing. "Perseus, when we take demigods into captivity, we don't care so much if they catch infection."

Percy had the sudden and terrible image of his friends, suffering from rare diseases while tied up. Or worse… they could already be dead. He shut his eyes, thinking suddenly of his empathy link with Grover. Either it had been broken, or… No, he couldn't think about it now.

"But what about the drivers whom you harass?" Percy snapped. He'd hoped to rear some of his more sophisticated language, but had petered out a bit. 'Whom' and 'harass' were about as well as he could do under stress.

"Anyone who needs to get the blood test pretty much qualifies as demigod, in our book." He knew what they were; Percy could tell from the way he smiled. His eyes… they almost reminded Percy of the monsters they used to fight. But no, you couldn't just hit a mortal with a sword and expect it to be over. These weren't monsters that they could defeat; they were too strong.

"Well, after you release me, you'll be talking to my lawyer," Percy said venomously. He wasn't sure why he was keeping up the act; maybe because it felt safer, regardless of the knowledge that it wouldn't help.

Just as the needle narrowed in on Percy's pink flesh, there was a gust of wind. It took Percy several pairs of double takes, but the officer had vanished from sight.

"Oh my gods," Percy said, relief washing over his face in the form of sweat. He laughed, thrusting an arm around Annabeth, and a fist in the air. "I never thought I'd see the day."

A/N: I hope you liked it! The more people who review, the quicker I'll update!


	6. Ties of Marriage

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! Love you guys! Anyway, here goes.

"Who is it?" Annabeth asked, taken aback. Percy had pulled her close, and she could hardly see through all of the wind.

"It's – it's Zeus and Hera!"

It took another moment for Annabeth to adjust her eyes, and then she saw them. They were attacking the policeman, in all their glory.

"Di immortales," Annabeth murmured. She turned to Percy, her grey eyes wild with stunned relief. "But they hate us! Why are they saving us?"

"I have no idea," Percy said. "Hey, let's go help."

Despite the Olympians' recent lack of appearance, they clearly still possessed their godliness. They fought with glamour and precision, and soon enough the policeman dissolved into light.

Percy stood for a moment, amazed. He still couldn't believe that they would help them, just like that.

Zeus and Hera stared straight back at them, and Percy soon realized that they were waiting for a thanks.

"Thank – thank you so much," Percy spluttered, trying to grin at them. "I – I can't – how – "

Zeus gave him a brief nod, his gaze as intense as always. "I have to go now. Hera will answer your questions." Before Percy could react, Zeus had disappeared from sight.

Immediately, he turned to Hera. She could be worse than Zeus, when she wanted, but today the goddess seemed calm. Her red lips were pursed with effort, her brown hair pulled into a bun. She looked worn, as if her powers were rubbing at her, but she was still dignified.

"We don't have time," she said, her voice low. "Come here."

"Wait," Percy said. Her narrowed eyes traveled to him, challenging him to interrupt her again.

"Yes?" she said at last, the patience clearly straining her.

"Why – why?" he managed, shrugging in bewilderment.

She raised her neck, eyes focused on a nearby tree. Percy half expected it to shatter with the weight of her gaze.

"The lightning bolt has been misplaced," she spat icily.

"Again?" Percy said. Her glare was then redirected at him, and he blushed apologetically. "Sorry," he muttered, "I didn't mean… who took it?"

"We don't know," Hera snapped. "There are too many possibilities in this world. We cannot figure it out."

"But the bolt!" Percy shouted. "It's your big weapon."

"Percy…"

Percy looked up, shocked at how human his name sounded.

"Gods are only as real as people make them."

"What?" Percy asked, his voice raw with scorn. He hated corny things like that.

"You can make fun," she sighed, "But it's the truth. If the world turns against us, how do we remain above them metaphorically? Gods do not have haters; at least not while they remain gods."

"You mean…" Percy said, a terrible thought on the horizon, "You're not gods?" He and Annabeth both opened their mouths in horror. Oddly enough, Hera smiled.

"Of course we are. Technically. But we are separated, we are targeted, and we don't have the bolt. Besides our individual gifts, our remaining power is limited." She sounded matter-of-fact, rather than sad or reminiscent, and Percy respected her for it. He knew that it must be hard, going from a position of high power to a victim.

"Now," she began, "I –"

"Wait," Percy said again, his mind waddling along ribbons of questions. He didn't know what to say. "Where are the others?"

"The others?"

"The other Olympians," Percy said quietly.

If it was possible, Hera's eyes softened. Well, her glare became a frown. "I don't know. I haven't seen any of my relatives, besides Zeus, in a long time."

Percy swallowed a gallon of air, and began to choke on it. Hera looked away distastefully.

"Are you finished with your questions?" Hera asked, after he had finished.

"Yeah," Percy said. He took Annabeth's hand in silence. It felt picturesque, almost. The three of them stood in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by the starving wind. It circled them, trying its hardest to swallow them up. Percy knew that in the end it would protect them, though. The nature was their greatest friend in such times.

"Would you like to be married?" It was an honest question. It was not probing nor insisting. She was truly asking whether they wished her to join them.

Percy glanced at Annabeth, uncertain all at once. Their foundation had been steel and sturdy, but he worried that their marriage would be merely a mirage of sand. It was the wrong time, in the wrong way.

Annabeth's strong face was etched with doubt, and he understood, as much as he didn't want to. "Would you?" he asked her softly, allowing his face to leave him at the end.

"Yes," she said. He didn't miss the way her voice wavered, or the way she didn't meet his eyes.

"Okay," Percy said. "Yes, Hera, will you please marry us?"

Her red lips curved in a smile; she was happy to utilize her position. "Alright. Do you have a ring?"

"No," Percy whispered, staring at his feet. He felt as if he'd done something villainous.

"It's okay," Hera said, her voice the gentlest her remembered it. "Here." She handed Annabeth the most exquisite diamond that Percy had ever seen. It took his breath away, and he mouthed a 'thank you' to the goddess. He meant it too, and he hoped that she knew that.

"Thank you," Annabeth replied. She met Hera's eyes for a moment, quietly searching for answers. The goddess _hated _her.

Hera seemed to understand, though. "We can't afford to lose our own kind," she said stiffly. "Whatever our personal differences may be."

Annabeth nodded. "Oh…"

"Don't worry," Hera replied. "We will be back where we were, as soon as this is over."

A wave of relief washed over Annabeth's face. "There's an end, then? You think this will end?"

"I don't know," Hera replied. "I've heard that Nico di Angelo is strategizing with his father. Those are only rumors, though."

Strategizing. It nearly made Percy laugh, but he stopped himself.

"Should we begin?" Hera asked.

Percy nodded, and Annabeth slowly followed suit.

"Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, do you take Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena?"

The rest of the service was lost to Annabeth's ears, as they slowly repeated the vows. They were true – every word of them. But with them came unnecessary stress and baggage, which Annabeth thought would surely crush her.

Percy was her whole world, but these strings of 'a lifetime' were too redolent of the evils in their life. She loved him, she always had, and every vow held the most sincerity; but she knew what this spelled for her future.

"I do." Honest, plain and their entire tomorrow. _"I will," _Annabeth thought. She was fairly sure that the words were in her head, but then Percy turned to her.

His eyes were wide. "I will too."

A/N: Now that we have the wedding completed, the fic is going to get darker I'm afraid. Anyway, please review! Chances are, I may not be able to update until the 19th, but if lots of people review I'll try my best.


	7. You Don't Know

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! You guys are awesome! The chapter is named after a song from the musical Next to Normal, which I'm currently obsessed with. I'm just telling you so that you don't assume what it's referring to is a bigger part of the chapter than it is. Oh well, maybe this should be in the end A/N…

_Percy, _

_Meet me at the train system in Buffalo at three thirty, on June 3. Should you have any suspicions that someone else has read this letter, do not try and come._

_-SJ_

"Annabeth," Percy breathed, his hands trembling. "Look at this!" They had been married for two months, two months that had been an interesting mix of hell and tranquility.

"Do you think it's real?" Annabeth asked. Her logic had reached a skeptic shade, nearly always suspicious. Percy had noticed, that over the first few weeks of their marriage, her quiet sorrow had transformed into bitterness.

"I have no idea," Percy replied, holding the letter up to his eye.

"Well, did you check the seal? That's an easy way to tell if it's been intercepted, at least."

"No, I didn't think to," Percy admitted. "I was just curious. This is the first letter we've gotten, isn't it?"

Annabeth nodded curtly. Their lack of contact had been rudely sustained, even going as far as to trap the two in their home. Having been unable to attain jobs, they only left to buy food once a week. Their life was becoming small and cornered; a simple explanation for Annabeth's snappish behavior.

"I wanted to open it," Percy explained. He clutched the envelope to him, as if wanting to protect it. "I don't remember the mailman being to suspicious, though. Do you?"

"I didn't see him," she replied.

"Oh. Well, I don't think he was. Hey, June third is day after tomorrow, right?" Another nod. "I guess I'll see, right? Maybe it's really her."

"I don't think you should go, Percy."

"Why not?" His expression turned to one of misery, as if she'd taken away the only thing he had to look forward to. She had in fact, she knew, but safety came first.

"It's not as if anyone else has been able to find us, Percy. It's probably a trap."

His eyes softened, wrongly assuming her meaning. "Oh… Annabeth, I'm sure your dad just doesn't know where we are. Nobody does."

"Exactly," she said, ignoring the first part. "How do you think she would find out?"

"Thalia. Clarisse," Percy said, stubbornly. "I don't care. I'm going."

"Percy!" Annabeth shouted, her voice nearly shrill. "You can't just do that! We're married now, you have to hear me out."

He looked at her, slightly thrown. She hadn't played the marriage card yet; neither of them had. "Come with me."

"What?"

"Come with me. You're just as good a fighter as I am. You'll be great assistance if it is a trap."

"Why risk it at all?" Annabeth asked, her voice soft.

"Because," Percy replied, matching her tentative tone. "I miss my mom. And I want to see her." He looked Annabeth right in the eye, willing her to challenge him.

There was a long pause, as Annabeth considered the possible ramifications. "Okay," she said, at last. She leaned over, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Okay."

"Let's go pack actually suitcases, okay?" Percy suggested. "We'll be less suspicious that way, since we're going to a train station. And, you know, maybe she'll actually take us somewhere. To visit your dad, maybe."

"Yeah…" Annabeth replied. His not-so-subtle mentions of her father were beginning to pull at her skin; she didn't know how much more she could take of them.

"Where are you going?" Annabeth asked. They had been lying in bed, neither of them able to sleep. This was not unusual, as of late. However, for once, Percy had stood up.

"I'm getting water," he said. And he was downstairs before she could ask him anything else.

He did get a glass, but then he sat down in the living room, letter in hand. It was not the first time he had read it over, gently caressing the typed letters. He wished she had handwritten it, given him a more direct connection to her. That was assuming it was real, of course. He hadn't wanted to get his hopes up, but it was too late. They were as high as Zeus's sky, the only safe place left for half bloods, it seemed.

A strange idea occurred to him, but he quickly pushed it away. It would never work, after all. He brought his attention back to the letter, carefully looking over each word. His dyslexia hardly mattered; he had the thing memorized.

"Percy." Silently she draped his arms over him, telling him with her every move that she understood. She had given him an hour, after all. "Come on. Let's go back to bed."

"Okay," he whispered, nodding. His left hand took her right one, while his right remained clutched to the letter. Annabeth had a feeling that he wasn't about to let it out of his sight.

The next day was the slowest either of them had ever experienced. They had gone to sleep falsely feeling that they would meet Sally _today_. In fact, they had a whole other twenty-four hours to wait.

Secretly, neither cared whether it was a trap. Well no, they cared. Percy wanted to see his mother, and Annabeth wanted information. However, a trap had to be better than sitting at home. They felt so helpless, having to read about their dying extended family in the newspaper. Direct contact with _something_ had to be better than this numb sort of pain.

At a quiet dinner of microwave stew, Percy observed his wife. She was more the Annabeth he knew, at least. While she was a bit colder, a bit more pessimistic, she did not skulk around. Their marriage ceremony had driven away the core of her depression, it seemed, and he hoped that it had helped her. He prayed to Hera, whom he know felt he owed, that it had.

"More meat?" he asked, passing her the serving dish.

She made a face. They'd been picking up semi-prepared dishes from the supermarket, and none of it was all too tasty. "Sure, thanks." A few moments passed, as Annabeth tried fruitlessly to saw the beef into pieces.

"I hate that we have nothing to talk about," Percy said, his voice gravelly.

"Well, there's not much to talk about when nothing happens."

"Yeah. But we should be able to think of something."

"What?" Annabeth asked.

"I don't know," Percy replied. "Something. Anything. You pick."

She rolled her eyes, and Percy felt his chest tighten. Why did she not care? "Not now, okay? Percy, this is fine. We have plenty to talk about, okay? We're just tired."

"Yeah," Percy agreed. "Okay." And he hated himself, for not pushing it. He could have, he knew, he should have. He would have too, had he not been so preoccupied.

They finished in silence, neither touching the grocery cheesecake. "I'll do dishes," Annabeth said. She must have felt guilty about her comment. "Get in bed, okay? I know it's early, but you could use the rest."

Percy nodded, one slow, effort-filled motion. "See you in the morning." For once, he knew he'd fall right asleep. Suddenly the world felt suction-like, pulling his ankles down through the floor. Gods, was he tired.

"Are you two knew in town?" a fellow pedestrian asked.

Annabeth tilted her head up, trying to feel as superior as possible. "Yes. We're just going away for a few days to see my mother in-law."

"Oh, well it's nice to meet you! Have a safe trip!"

"Thank you." She took Percy's hand, pulling him across the street. They rounded the corner then, going a block out of their way.

"What was that for?" Percy asked, rubbing the sore spots where she'd pinched his fingers.

"I hate these people. They ask so many questions."

"They're scared," Percy asked.

"Why do you say that like you're sympathetic?" Annabeth asked, sounding angry.

"Because I am. They probably are scared, of what everyone's made us sound like. Wouldn't you be?"

"How can you defend them?" she asked, suddenly derailed. Her mood swings had no warning anymore.

"I'm not –"

"Yes you are! Anybody who says that they're sympathetic, is defending them," she panted, her cheeks glowing with a dark red.

"Annabeth," Percy said, shocked. "What happened to you?"

"Well I'm sorry if everyone's deaths upset me more than you," she said.

"Everyone's?" Percy replied. "Only Chiron, and Annabeth, it's been months. I'm not saying that we shouldn't still be sad, but… we've been lucky. No one else we're close to has died."

"That we know of," she fired, still furious. She was so close to telling him her secret; the secret that she'd kept tied up on her tongue, eating away at her every move. She stopped herself though, resuming her mysterious state of rage and misery. She was calm though, just as quickly as she'd lost it.

"Are you okay?" Percy asked. "Are you – are you sure that something else isn't going on here?" He meant internally, she knew. He would never guess, he could never know without her telling him.

"Yes, I'm sure," she said quietly. "Come on. It's almost three thirty."

They walked the rest of the way more quickly, Percy desperately trying to figure her out. He was at his wits ends, basically. He had no idea what she was talking about anymore, no clue what the wall was that had come between them.

"Percy," Annabeths whispered, pulling on his sleeve. "There she is."

He turned slowly, the sight of Sally Jackson meeting his eyes. He closed his eyes, thanking the gods, wherever they were, that they let him see her. He didn't think about the fact that it was the first good thing to happen since the marriage, or the fact that she was probably bearing horrible news. Perhaps, in the end, Percy Jackson was an optimist.

A/N: Thanks so much for reading! I dropped a lot of little hints about things to come in this chapter, so kudos if you caught them. I hope you liked it; please review to show that you did.


	8. Too Many Problems

A/N: Hi guys, I know it's been a while. I know that this chapter has a lot of exposition in it, but it's necessary for what's to come. Hope you like it!

"Mom!" Percy shouted, entirely ignoring the staring strangers. He really didn't care anymore; they could call him out for being a demigod, it didn't matter to him at the moment. He leapt through the air with astonishing speed, leaving Annabeth's fingers somewhere behind.

By the time she reached them – mother and son – on the train platform, they were still embracing.

Percy's face was more _open_ than she ever remembered seeing it. He looked so joyous that it stirred something deep within her, drawing her mouth into a frown. This wasn't fair. It wasn't right, as happy as she was for him.

"Hello, Annabeth," Sally said, beaming identically to her son. She opened her arms to her new daughter-in-law, and Annabeth reluctantly hugged her back.

"We got married," she whispered, staring up at the taunting clouds. They looked the same as always; it wasn't right.

"You did?" Sally said, smiling breathlessly. Her delight was true, Annabeth sensed. "Congratulations, sweetie." She gave Annabeth a kiss on the forehead and drew Percy in with her arm, so that all three of them were hugging. Annabeth continued to smile, but all she wanted was to pull away.

"I have so much to tell you," Sally whispered, kissing them each a second time. "Come on, we're going to make a bit of a loop. We'll take the train up to Massachusetts, spend a couple of days, and then come back down. I'll explain everything on route."

"Where's Paul?" Percy asked. "Where's Frederick?"

"Shh," Sally said, still smiling. "I'll explain it on the way." Her smile faltered for a moment, and the reappeared twice as bright. "Oh, I'm so glad you two are safe." Percy hugged her _again_, one of his hands around Annabeth's waist. She stayed where she was – silently refusing to feel at ease.

"Honey," Sally whispered, smoothing his hair. "The train's going to leave soon, we have to go."

"Okay," Percy said, his grin only expanding. "You ready, Annabeth?"

"Mmhm," she replied. She heaved a deep sigh, focusing on the bold shapes that covered the train's back.

"Excuse me," Sally said, approaching a conductor. "My friend, Mr. Dare, he arranged for my family and I to have a private compartment." She raised her eyebrows, staring down the guard until he withered with surprise.

"Oh, of course ma'am," the conductor said. "Right this way."

"Mr. Dare?" Percy mouthed to Annabeth, his eyes exploding with shock.

"This way, kids," Sally instructed cheerfully, ignoring the fact that they were all grown up. "Thank you," Sally said to the conductor, giving him a nod.

"Anytime," the conductor replied, "Please tell Mr. Dare that we appreciate having his friends aboard."

"Will do." Sally waited patiently until the conductor was down the corridor, before she shut the door.

"_What?"_ Percy exclaimed, throwing his hands up for emphasis. "Okay, start with the Mr. Dare thing, okay?"

Sally smiled, a devilish twinkle in her eye. "It's sort of funny how it happened," she said, sitting down. "After it… all started, Rachel was forced to tell her father everything."

"Really?" Percy asked. He wondered, for a moment, whether she'd gotten a prophecy about the disaster.

"Yes," Sally replied. "It went better than she expected, though. He believed her almost right away. Well, he didn't really have much choice, but still."

"Okay…" Percy interjected. He quickly glanced at Annabeth, who was sitting with her hands clenched in her lap. "What happened then?"

"He became the biggest asset we could have asked for. He took Paul on to work for him, and let Rachel and several friends from camp half blood move in with him."

"So they're okay then?" Percy asked, his expression shifting to relief. "Paul and all of the campers?"

"Not all of them," Sally said, tensely. "We – we can't watch them all the time, sometimes they'll get them." She sighed, now morose. "And we can't watch those who have graduated, either. Thalia and Clarisse have been instrumental in keeping things safe _at all_, but we don't have locations for everyone. Some are missing, some are…" She trailed off, shaking her head.

"Your dad is in Massachusetts, Annabeth. That's why we're going there."

"Is he okay?" They were the first real words she'd spoken, and they didn't sound as heart-filled as she meant them too.

"He's fine," Sally replied, gently smiling at her. "Living with a fake name, of course, but he's alright. We can't – we can only see him, though. You can't say you're his daughter." She eyed Annabeth, clearly recognizing that she wanted space.

"Of course," Annabeth said, dryly. "I wouldn't dream of it."

Percy glanced at her with worry, and then turned back to his mom. "So he's okay, some demigods are okay…. Paul's in New York?"

"Yes," Sally said. "With Lillian." Lillian was Percy's half-sister.

"Okay," Percy said, nodding along. "That's good then, right? Has anyone heard from Grover?"

"No," Sally replied, shaking her head. "He was trying to rally the naiads and dryads when we first lost sight of him." She glanced around, looking worried. "Juniper's alone at camp, Percy. She's terrified, of course. And Dionysus is gone, and of course there are no half bloods there. It wouldn't be safe."

"You mean the enchantment's broken?" Percy asked, looking shattered. He ignored the strange fact that Sally knew who Juniper was, half camp blood was supposed to be completely separated from mortals – that's why it was safe.

Sally nodded. "We don't know how, and no one has a chance to find out."

"What about – what about Tyson? And Nico?" Percy asked, licking his lips for something to do.

"We don't know," Sally said gently. "It's possible Tyson's at your father's palace, and that Nico's in Hades. Thalia and Clarisse are trying to look for everyone, Percy, but it's hard. We have several other things to worry about."

Annabeth stood abruptly, hitting the seat noisily with her arm. "I'm going to the bathroom," she said. "I'll be back."

She left, without a backwards glance to either them.

Percy sighed, leaning forward in his seat. "I'm so worried about her, mom. She's not herself. She hasn't been in forever."

"This is her world, honey."

"It's mine too!"

"Shh, I know that, but… it's probably different for her."

"Yeah," Percy replied, all fight gone from his voice. "I know."

Sally nodded. "Are – are you ready for the bad news now?"

Percy braced himself. "Yeah?"

"Things aren't looking good, Percy," Sally said. "We don't know where the gods are –"

"I do," Percy interrupted. "They're in hiding, spreading out to try and save things. Hera, um, performed our marriage ceremony."

Sally smiled, drawing Percy close to her. "I've missed you, Percy."

"Me too," Percy replied, smiling sadly. It had been too long, and he feared that they were going to be split again soon.

"Well," Sally said, sighing shakily. "I suppose that's good. But Percy, the mortals have made a proposition."

"What's that?" Percy asked.

"We don't know how," Sally said, "Or why they want this. But they seem to, and some demigods, well, we're considering…"

"Just tell me," Percy said.

"They're scared, Percy," Sally continued, refusing to tell him without further explanation. "I think all they want is to feel safe."

"So?" Percy prodded.

"They made an offer to leave all of you alone if you renounce the gods."

"What? Never," Percy said. He didn't shout it, even; he just tossed it off his shoulder as if it didn't matter.

"That quickly?" Sally asked. "You don't think it's wise to consider? You're my son, Percy, I want to keep you safe."

Percy felt a sickening warmth rise up into his throat, and wondered for a second if he was going to throw up. "No," he replied. "That's my dad and my friends and my wife's mom. I won't. Ever."

"Alright," Sally said, smiling again. "I thought you might say that. But Percy, there's more." He closed his eyes, as if to say 'hit me with it'.

"There have been no more demigods born, for a long time. Obviously, mortals are either too afraid and aware of the gods to date them, or they're worried they'll be persecuted if they do."

"So there are mortals who agree with us, then?" Percy asked, clinging to the notion of hope rather than the one of desperation. "Not all the mortals are against us?"

"Of course not," Sally said. "But you can't expect them to speak up. They'll be killed just as quickly as we would be."

"Yeah…" Percy said, glumly leaning his head against the backrest. "Is that it?"

Sally sighed. "No, not exactly." She glanced at the door. "Do you know where Annabeth is?"

"No," Percy said. "I – I think she just doesn't want to hear it, you know?"

Sally watched him with caution. "You know what, this can wait another day."

"What? No, Mom, I need to know as much as I can."

She shook her head. "You're still young, Percy. And this doesn't have immediate importance. Go, find Annabeth. Make sure she's okay."

"Alright," Percy said, hesitating. "But will you tell us later?"

"Sure," Sally lied. "As soon as we get to Frederick's house."

"Frederick," Percy said, attempting to grin. "Maybe seeing her dad will cheer her up."

"Maybe so," Sally agreed, even though they both thought it unlikely. "We'll have to see."

"Yeah," Percy said, sadly. "Okay, I'll go look for her."

Sally watched him go, hoping for a second that things would be okay.

A/N: That's all for now! Please review, I promise more things will happen in the next chapter.


	9. Changes

A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I really love all of the motivation you guys give me, it's wonderful! You're going to get answers in the next chapter, I promise. I hope you like the chapter! : )

When Annabeth and Percy returned, Sally could tell that their grasps on composure were fragile. Annabeth was trembling, her once-tanned skin gone completely white.

Sally frowned, feeling her heart ache. She wished she could stay with them. But no, she would take them to Massachusetts, and then back to what used to be Camp Half Blood. That was her job. They were all grown up, she realized for the hundredth time. She couldn't shelter them from everything. Then again… it wasn't as if she'd ever been able to before.

"We're here," Sally announced needlessly. The train slowed, and Annabeth closed her eyes to swell the sudden nausea. She wasn't sure why, but the cessation of motion made her dizzy.

"Are you ready?" Percy asked, trying to hold onto a fraction of hope. He wanted her to feel better; he wanted to know what was wrong with her.

Annabeth nodded. In the bright, natural light Percy was suddenly witness to how much she had changed, physically. He had been living with her every day, so it wasn't jarring like it was to Sally. But her lips were chipped, her waist contained only a thin rim of fat. She had become nearly emaciated, it seemed. Had she been eating? Percy couldn't remember. And besides that… well, she looked older. Easily five years older than they actually were. Her light hair was even lighter, sprinkled with increasing grey strands. But worst of all were her eyes. They were lined, hopeless. She wasn't dreaming, any more. She'd lost her aspirations of success, of pure happiness. She was no longer young, and Percy hated that it had taken him so long to see the changes.

Percy reached for her, hugging her as tightly as he could. "What?" She almost sounded angry.

"Nothing," he murmured, releasing her. He stepped back, watching her walk ahead of him with a backwards glance. He'd gone to get her, hadn't he? He'd brought her back? What was he doing wrong? He slowed his steps, waiting for Sally to come up behind him.

"She'll get better, you'll see," Sally said. "This will be good for her."

"What happened to her?" Percy asked. "This – this can't be just the thing the mortals. I mean, that's horrible, but it should just make her sad. She's not Annabeth anymore."

Sally squeezed his shoulder, trying hard to pretend that she could make it all better. "It could just be that, honey." She sighed. "Different people take things differently. But you're right," she whispered. "I think there's something else too. Maybe we'll find out what it is."

"Yeah…" Percy said, trailing off. He could hardly imagine. Whatever it was, it had to be bad. Annabeth was the strongest person he knew; she wouldn't be destroyed by just anything. And if it was something bad, on _top_ of their current predicament, well… he knew he would lose it too.

Annabeth was waiting by the cabstand, by the time Sally and Percy got there. She was nearly expressionless.

Sally went over to the booth, whispering something to the man behind the counter. Percy assumed it was about Mr. Dare, because he popped right up and opened the door to a taxi.

"Of course, ma'am, of course," he was saying.

Annabeth gave a feeble sigh, which Percy barely heard, and slid into the back seat.

"Are you excited to see your dad?" he asked.

She didn't reply. Percy thought about repeating the question, but decided he wasn't sure if he could handle an answer.

The posters they saw didn't help. As they drove, countless "Demigods wanted. Call if you have information" posters were passed. Percy even spotted a couple of fliers that said, "Have the gods been manipulating your life? Want to help in our plight to freedom? Call here, and help make sure that this unjust leadership is ended." Percy prayed silently to Athena that her daughter wasn't seeing these.

They got out, and Annabeth stared up at the house that was supposed to be her father's. She opened her mouth, leaving it in a perfect "o" shape. Surprise?

"Your brothers are with your step-mom," Sally explained gently. "Like most of us, your dad opted to keep them out of harms way. After all, nothing can be traced to them…"

Annabeth gave a quick nod, proceeding up the front steps. It was as if she couldn't help herself, but was afraid at the same time.

She rang the bell, with a stiff, steady hand. How could her hand remain so stable as her whole body shook, Percy wondered.

"Annabeth." They heard her name before they saw the man. It was Frederick, emerging from his new pseudo-home.

Sally had said that they couldn't openly admit that Annabeth was his daughter, but what did that mean? Nothing, at the moment, Percy knew. Annabeth hugged her father, with much less love and emotion than he had expected. She stepped into the house, then, without another word to him.

Percy ran forward, bestowing a hug of his own on the man. So what if he'd only met him about ten times? He was another familiar face, and that was enough to set Percy at ease.

"I'm worried about her, sir," he said, the words rushing forth from him. He wasn't going to hesitate, any more. Not when it came to sharing important information. Annabeth had done that with him, he suspected, and it obviously hadn't turned out well. He wouldn't hold back, ever again, he promised himself. He would make sure that everyone knew the whole truth.

Frederick glanced back at Annabeth, who was already out of earshot. His eyes were cloudy with distress. "Me too. Come inside."

A/N: That's it for now! In the next one, you shall hear all about Annabeth's secret. Please review!


	10. Heart to Heart

A/N: I'm so sorry that this took so long! Thanks so much for the patience guys, I hope you like this!

"I have spaghetti cooking," Frederick announced, a smile plastered onto his face. "Who wants some?"

"You don't cook," Annabeth said flatly.

"I do now," her father said, continuing to smile. He was obviously very, very practiced at the pretending thing. Percy wondered just what he'd been through already. "Come on, do you want spaghetti?" He sounded hopeful. "I even bought marinara sauce the other day."

"That sounds wonderful," Sally replied. "Here, Percy, why don't you come up stairs with me? I think we can sneak a call to Paul, and see if he's okay."

"Now?" Percy asked. "What about the –"

"Percy," Sally repeated, inclining her head towards Annabeth.

"Oh," Percy said, understanding. She wanted to give Annabeth and Frederick a chance to talk. "Right. Okay, sounds great!" He smiled to his wife as they walked upstairs, and she stared blankly back. His heart ached, hoping to the gods that this day with her dad would help her. Honestly, he didn't know what to do anymore.

"Annabeth," Frederick said. It came out more as a sigh though, and she immediately looked suspicious.

"What?" she asked quietly. "What do you want?"

"Can we talk?" He smiled _again,_ sitting next to her. These kinds of talks with her weren't easy for him. He hated pushing her, and felt uncomfortable doing so. But still, it had to be done.

"Sure," Annabeth replied. This surprised him for a moment, but then he got a closer look at his daughter. Her circled eyelids and starved rib cage didn't fool him. It wasn't time that was hurting her; it was something inside, eating her up. She wanted someone to take it out of her, to save her.

"What's wrong?" he asked, deciding not to beat around the bush. She responded better to directness than she did to subtle implications, anyway.

"Nothing," she started out. Of course, she would begin by denying it. "It's just been hard." She sighed, her composure fractured, and for a moment Frederick didn't want to know her secret. That's why he was a terrible father. He had trouble realizing that sometimes parents had to feel pain, for their kids' sake.

"Yeah, but what else?" he asked. "Don't say it's nothing, honey. No one's believing you."

"Honey? You've never called me honey before." Her voice was wobbling, she looked trapped.

He ignored this, reusing the powerful world. "Honey, please… Tell me what's wrong."

"No."

"Please Annabeth?" He took a shot, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. They weren't very affectionate with one another, but she looked as if she needed to be held onto, or else she would float away. He had to wait only a moment, before she crumbled.

"I can't tell you," she said, tears leaking out of her eyes. "Because once I do, I'll have to tell Percy." She gave a little gasp, and closed her eyes. That was far too hard for her to even imagine.

"No you won't," Frederick said. "Not if you don't want to." Because she was crying, and after all, she was his daughter, he pulled her a little closer.

"Yes," Annabeth said, wiping at her eyes. "You don't know what it is."

"Please?" Frederick said. "Honey, I'm your dad. You can tell me anything."

This seemed to do the trick, and Annabeth gave in. Her first few words were muffled by sobbing, but still, it was a start. Frederick shut his eyes, worrying about her in silence. How long had this gone on for?

"I… I was going to have a baby."

"Oh Annabeth," Frederick said, not hearing the whole thing at first. "That's wonderful."

"But d- dad, d-daddy, that's not everything. Can – can I tell you the rest?" She looked up at him, eyes still streaming.

"Of course," he replied, pulling her back to him. "Tell me everything."

"I didn't tell Percy about it," Annabeth murmured. "Because I wasn't sure at first, and when I came back from the doctor…" She shook her head. "I'd been throwing up, and I missed my period, so I assumed… but dad, he said the baby wasn't alive. I – I had a miscarriage." She started sobbing even harder, clutching to her father's shirt.

"Annabeth," Frederick said, holding her. "Shh…" He tried to ignore how much it hurt that he wasn't going to be a grandfather yet. Annabeth had kept this inside for months; he could keep it for a little longer.

"Why didn't you tell Percy?" he asked, after it seemed she was calmer.

"I don't know," Annabeth said. "I felt – I felt embarrassed."

"Embarrassed? Why honey?"

"I don't know," she wailed. "Because it would have been so good, but then it didn't happen." She shook her head. "I hate that it got ruined. Because after I thought that – that I might be, I started to really like the idea." She hid her face in his shoulder, all inhibitions gone. It felt so good, to finally tell the truth.

"But you tried to do this on your own?" Frederick asked her. Even as he stroked her hair, and did all the things he knew he should, he worried he was doing it wrong. If he were a good father, wouldn't this not have happened in the first place? "You… you didn't tell anyone?"

"No," she wept, "There was no one to tell. Thalia wasn't around, and neither was anyone else. At first though, I was happy. That it was explained, I mean. I was always really sad, and the baby explained the mood swings. But I think after…" She shook her head.

"You were just depressed," Frederick finished. He held her as tightly as he could, vowing to himself that he would take care of her from now on. He would be a better father, and never let her suffer like this again. "Oh Annabeth, I'm so sorry. Really…" he whispered. "I wish I could help you more."

"You did help dad – daddy," she sniffed. "Thank you." He kissed her forehead, unable to think of an adequate response. 'You're welcome', certainly wouldn't do.

"Annabeth?" Frederick asked, continuing to pet her blonde-and-gray hair. "I do think you should tell Percy."

"I – I know," she said. "I'm just… I'm scared too, I guess."

"I know," he echoed her, "But don't be. He'll only be happy that you're okay."

"Yeah," Annabeth said. She sat up, resting her head against Frederick's chest. "I really love him, dad."

"I know you do."

"We got married, did I tell you that?"

"No, you didn't." Frederick smiled. "See, maybe grandchildren aren't so far off anyway."

"Maybe…"

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked her, turning her head so that their eyes met.

"I want to be," Annabeth replied, her voice still shaky.

"Then you will be," Frederick said, proud of how sure he sounded. "We'll make sure that you are. Together."

"Okay," Annabeth replied. She hugged him tightly, whispering "I love you," in the hopes that he wouldn't hear her. They hadn't said that so much, in her memory.

"I love you too," Frederick said, slowly enunciating each word. It felt good to say, and he liked the way it made Annabeth finally smile. "We're going to do this together, okay?" he repeated. "I promise." He liked the way that making a promise felt too, especially since this was one he knew he would keep.

A/N: I hope the answers (albeit probably less surprising than you were expecting) made you happy! Anyway, please review with your thoughts!


	11. Light in the Dark

A/N: Sorry for the long wait! Unfortunately, since I start school day after tomorrow, this may be my last update for a little while. I'll try to update as soon as I can though : ). Sexual content warning.

Annabeth climbed the stairs slowly, each step agonizing her ankles and spine. She felt as if she were loaded with led, her bones aching with extraneous weight.

"Just imagine," Frederick had whispered, smiling at her reassuringly, "It will feel so good once you've told him."

They seemed to have mastered the father-daughter act in a matter of minutes, and even though Annabeth didn't buy that it would last forever, it consoled her for the moment. It was the speck of light in the dark, the one she'd been waiting for all this time.

"Percy…. Percy can I talk to you for a minute?" Never had Annabeth been afraid of him before. Even with his sword in hand, he had always seemed so harmless too her. Not gentle exactly – not at all, in fact – but harmless to her. Now though, smiling up at her, his worry seeping through the dullness in his eyes, he was too scary for her to express.

"I'll go help with dinner," Sally said, recognizing her cue. She kissed her son on the head, and tried to reach for Annabeth's hand as she left. Annabeth didn't understand, though, and scooted further away from the door.

"Are you okay?" Percy asked, after his mom had closed the door. He watched the way she trembled and panted, looking as if she wanted nothing more than to run away.

"Not really," Annabeth replied. "But Percy, I have to talk to you about something."

"O – okay," he replied. Neither of them could miss the eagerness in his voice. She was ready to talk, and he was relieved. But he didn't know the half of it, yet. Annabeth turned away, hoping he wouldn't spot the dread resounding from every inch of her.

"Percy," she said. "Do you remember, right before Chiron's funeral, when we um, you know…. For the first time?" Her cheeks went red in spite of the gravity in it all, and she ducked down. It was the only time they'd done it.

"How could I forget?" Percy asked, grinning devilishly. Annabeth's head turned just a fraction, so he could see the tears pooling in her eyes, and he shut up. "Hey," he said, infinitely kinder than a moment before. "What's wrong?" He took a step towards her, but she put up a hand to stop him.

"Please," she said, her voice aching as she pled. "Not now. Not yet. Let me finish."

"Okay," Percy consented slowly, stopping in his tracks. Still, he sat a bit closer to her, more worried than ever.

"Well, one day, when I was at a job interview, I felt sort of sick. So they sent me to the town doctor, and I – I found out what as wrong. I was pregnant, Percy."

Percy glanced up, eyes shining in delight. Obviously, he thought this was wonderful. "Oh Annabeth, that's amazing! Is that all you were worried about? Annabeth, we're going to be parent-"

"No," she shouted, tears spilling down her cheeks. "No, we're not. I – I had a miscarriage Percy."

"What?" he asked, even though he knew what it meant. His face fell about fifty stories, and Annabeth's heart broke. She knew this wouldn't be easy.

"The baby's dead," she said, harshly. "In the first trimester too, so it barely even – it barely even was alive. And I'm so sorry, Percy," she sobbed, "I really wanted a baby. I wanted – I wanted the baby too."

"Hey," he said, pushing away his own emotions the way Frederick had done. This wasn't about him, yet. Annabeth had been dealing with this – alone – for months. He could process it for himself later. "This is in no way you're fault." When she continued to cry, her head negating his words even as she hid it in her hands, he stood up. "No, Annabeth," he said, his volume rising, "It wasn't. And if you think it is, I'll – I'll…." Realizing it wasn't doing any good, he held out his arms for her. She went into them at once, thinking for the first time in her life that perhaps she didn't deserve him.

She heard his breathing quicken and grow harsh, but she couldn't face him yet. Not yet. They sat together for nearly an hour, both lost in their webs of sorrow. In all truth, Percy had never considered the idea of a baby. Not in their present life, and not in a theoretical future one. But the idea of being a father…. That somehow made it seem worth it to him. He smiled, even as he felt his eyes dampen.

It was nearly nine o'clock when Annabeth lifted her head from his chest, somewhat more composed. "I'm sorry," she said.

"For _what?"_ Percy asked, a bit more roughly than he'd intended. "Annabeth, you didn't do anything."

His certainty warmed her heart, but she still shook her head. "I feel like I did," she said, quietly. "And I'm sorry for telling you like this."

"Like what?" He ran his fingers through her hair, combing through some of the knots that had developed.

"Like… I don't know." She gave a shaky sigh, leaning back against him. "I'm just sorry."

"Me too," he replied. He touched her cheek. "I'm – I'm _really _sorry, Annabeth. I shouldn't have let you deal with this on your own."

"You didn't know," she replied simply.

"But I could have," he said, clearly talking to himself more than anything else. "I could have found out if I wanted to." He kicked a pillow, causing the bed frame to rattle. Annabeth sat up straight, grabbing either side of his face.

"Percy," she said, "No you couldn't have. I wasn't ready for anyone to know, and I wouldn't have told you for anything. There's no way you could have helped." They stared at each other, and Percy almost smiled. This was why they worked well together. For all of their differences, Annabeth and Percy were good at reaching one another, in ways that nobody else could. That's why they were best friends, as well as man and wife.

He sighed, his brief pride at their relationship rushing out of him. "Annabeth, how did you live with this for so long? I – I don't think I could." He shook his head. "You must be the strongest person in the world."

She snuggled up against him, marveling at it all. He still thought she was strong. "Percy…?" she asked, after a moment had slipped by. It was time to ask the inevitable question. "Percy, if I had been pregnant, would you have been happy?"

He thought for a minute, wanting to be completely sure about his answer. "Yes," he answered, finally. "Yes, I would have."

She turned around, a tiny bit of life creeping into her sad expression. "Me too."

He stared at her for a beat, and then realized what she was smiling about. He realized, though, that she wanted it to be his idea. "Well, there's no saying we can't try again. That's… that's what married couples do, isn't it? Have babies?"

She made a sound close to a laugh, and Percy felt his chest warm up. Maybe she would be happier soon. Maybe they would have a baby after all!

"Percy," she said quietly, as he stroked the side of her arm. "We can't just use this as an escape. Sex, I mean. This baby has to be something we want. I mean, with what's going on, I really don't –"

He kissed her mouth, driving away her doubts. "I want this Annabeth. More than anything in the world." And they kept on kissing, eventually making their way under the covers.

A while later, when they'd finished, they lay together, both smiling. For the moment, all of their grief was forgotten.

"That was amazing," Percy breathed, clasping her hands with both of his own. "Absolutely amazing. Do you think… do you think you're pregnant?"

Annabeth laughed for real now, tilting her head up so that their eyes could meet. "That's not how it works, Percy. We have to wait."

"Damn," Percy said. "I'm bad at that." They both laughed now, holding onto one another tightly. Whatever happened, it would get better now. Time would do the trick.

A/N: I hope you liked it! Whether you did or didn't, please leave a review behind! I'd love to hear comments! : ) Thanks so much, you guys!


	12. Coming Round the Bend

A/N: Ugh… I'm sorry about how long it's been. Really. I know I've been saying that with every story, but it's really true. I just got really busy with school for a while. But now I've finally returned to updating! I hope you enjoy the chapter, and don't hold back on reviews because of the wait.

For the next few weeks, a peaceful oblivion descended on Frederick's house. He and Sally developed a persuasive case for their children staying – not that Percy and Annabeth needed much persuasion, anyway.

Back in their parents' protection, breathing became easier. Even if they'd grown up, they still needed that shelter and guidance. Especially now.

Life went on, in a quiet sort of way. The four of them watched movies, took turns making dinner. Nervously, they tried to ignore the reality beyond their doors. There'd been no word from anyone; Thalia never phoned, word from Grover never reached their ears. In a way, this became instrumental. Ignoring the situation would not have been so easy if they'd had people around to remind them.

Still, there were hints. Newspapers. When people came to visit – the mailman, pizza delivery – Annabeth and Percy hid upstairs. Frederick pretended Sally was his new girlfriend.

After an immeasurable, unfelt amount of time had passed, Annabeth endured a bout of morning sickness. Of course, they told their parents it was a stomach virus, not wanting to get their hopes up, but Percy's eyes lit up as he watched her vomit.  
"Annabeth," he whispered, stroking her sweaty hair. "You're getting morning sickness!"

She continued to wretch, but he saw the little glint that entered her eyes. A baby! Hope! His chest felt heavy, chalk full of emotion; in the midst of all the wrong, they'd gotten something right.

When she'd finished, insisting he leave as she rinsed out her mouth, she emerged with a chagrinned expression. "It's going to be more of this, Percy. Weeks. We're going to have to tell them."

"It's going to be fine," he assured at once, voice firm. "We'll be fine. We'll burn that bridge when we get to it, okay?" Smiling for extra encouragement, he let his lips graze her neck.

"Okay," Annabeth replied, tossing back her head with a groan. "Ugh… my stomach." Still, her arms locked protectively across it. And Percy's grin widened, his hand latching atop hers. This was _their _child inside of her, growing into a person.

"Annabeth?" he said softly. "Are you…" He hesitated, not wanting to bring this up if it would hurt her. "You still think about the miscarriage, don't you?" He made it a question, but it was not one. He knew she still grieved; they both did.

Her eyes slid away from his, her spirit withdrawing. She dropped her hands. "Of course," she murmured, "of course I think about it. Do… do you?"

He nodded, golden face suddenly grave. "Yeah. It makes me sad, you know? That we almost.... But hey," ignoring her flinch of surprise, he grasped her hands as tightly as he could, "We're going to have a baby, Annabeth. We _are_."

Slowly, the lines of her mouth pressed upward a fraction. "We'll see."

"Annabeth…?" Oh. So that was it. It made sense that she wouldn't be able to get herself excited yet. "How's your stomach?" he asked suddenly, changing tracks.

"Shaky," she replied, sighing.

"Do you have any cravings?" This earned a laugh from her.

"Not yet, Percy. I promise I'll let you know." With a look of affection, she squeezed his fingers. "I am hungry for lunch, though. Want to go eat?"

"Sure," he replied. Together they fixed sandwiches, setting themselves at the tile countertop. When they were nearly through, Annabeth's complexion a vague green again. The phone rang.

"You're going to throw up?" Percy asked, ready to hold her hair again.

"I'm fine," she lied, her voice weak.

The phone continued to chirp its tinny ring, and Percy shouted upstairs. Since they weren't supposed to live there, no way could they pick up. Frederick hurried down the stairs, muttering to himself as he grabbed the reciever.

"Hello? Oh… Mrs. Murray…" Mrs. Murray was a cantankerous neighbor. Her husband worked for the city council. Percy watched, his insides jellied with nerves. Neighbors calling? That couldn't be good. Frederick's face drained of color, his shoulder muscles trembling, and Percy hardly noticed when Annabeth fled the room to vomit again.

"What?" he asked, once Frederick had hung up. "What's going on?"

"She called to warn me," he said stiffly. "Of a – a _creature_, connected to the _demigods_, coming to town." His eyes travelled to his son-in-laws, dark and frantic. "You have to hide…"

But Percy would have none of that. "Grover?" he asked, mouth open.

"You have to hide," Frederick repeated. "Come." He grabbed Percy's shoulders with unintentional force, pushing him up the stairs. "I'll call your mom's cell phone," he muttered, mostly to himself, "ask her to come home."

"Hey," Percy said, shrugging the arms away. "If that's Grover they've found, I've got to make sure he's okay." He glared. "I've got to see him!"

"No you don't," Frederick hissed, giving another push. "Because then my daughter will follow you, and I won't be putting her in that kind of danger." The veins in his face tightened, crisp with pain from the past. "Not again."

"I –I won't tell her I'm going," Percy answered, unsure. He didn't want Annabeth in danger either, of course.

Then the chaos started. They heard shouts; a cloud of bodies swarmed the view from the window. Percy's heart thudded noisily, expecting… something. In his hopeful way, he thought he might see Grover. But a part of him knew nothing good was coming. Terrified, approaching the kitchen window, he felt glad Annabeth was safe in the bathroom.

"Percy, go upstairs," Frederick said slowly, trying to turn him around. Percy shook his head. Before he could get close enough to see what was going on, a boom shattered every tangible sense. Gunfire.

Without another thought, Percy raced for the door. Before Frederick could stop him, he immersed himself in the mob.

A/N: : ) Hope you liked it! Review, pretty please?


	13. March of the Citizens

A/N: I'm so sorry for the long wait, and thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! Mwah, love you all!

There was a moment where Percy froze, wondering on his priorities. Annabeth was pregnant; this very second, their child - his baby - grew inside her. Sure, he was invulnerable, but what if... what if she ran out to help, and -

He shut his eyes and raced forward, furious for the time his hesitation cost him.

he was going to have a child, then he needed his friends around him. Period. He would be fine, and he hoped Annabeth would see that. The shouts from the mob caught him round the neck, dragging sweat from the pits of his pores. His heart thudded wildly, and he pushed forward. The crowd circled something - someone - and Percy couldn't get a look, no matter how hard he tried.

"Hey, you there!"

He flinched, nearly tripping over his sneakers. He'd been found out; someone probably noticed that they didn't recognize him from town.

"You look fit, are you fit?"

"Excuse me?" he panted, crashing to a halt. He jimmied his shoulder through two older man, trying to see past them.

"You're fit, I said. Do you think you could... take a spear to this thing?" The speaker looked up, revealing the lines of age in his face. "We've been trying, but..." he shook his head.

"Uh, sure," Percy said, before he could think. He felt too relieved at the extra moment of time, and anyway, if they let him put a spear to... the crowd moved just far enough, and he had to stifle his gasp. He'd worried it was Grover, thinking that's what 'creature' meant, but he hadn't even thought of -

"Tyson!" he shouted, before he could stop himself. The citizens stopped in their tracks, slowed with almost-comic haste. Percy's chest felt it would split open, it brimmed with such anger at the world. How stupid was he, that he hadn't worried about his brother all this time? How selfish and horrible, and oh gods, he couldn't bear this.

"You know this creature?" a woman spat, her gray eyes quivering with disgust.

Percy took one look at his brother, sobbing and rolled into a fetal position on the street, and swallowed. He had to think fast, Annabeth-fast, if he wanted to save them. Only now, straight in front of his brother, did he realize how much he had missed Tyson; sure, maybe he wasn't the shiniest star in the sky, but he had so much love in him... Percy stopped himself quickly, before he could choke up. "I, uh, I read about it," he muttered, pretending his stalled moments were from a lack of breath. "I know," he panted heavily, putting on a show, "I know how to kill it." Tyson gave a wail, either not recognizing Percy or somehow deluded into thinking that Percy would harm him.

"Really?" a woman shouted, eager. "How?" Percy looked at her young face, short blonde hair. She looked so kind, he could almost imagine her as a mother or Chiron-type of figure. What made her this way, so hateful and cruel? Ready to kill an innocent Cyclops? Percy's heart sank, because at last he understood. Of course he thought Cyclopses were a part of every day life, no big deal, but there was a time where he wouldn't have. Maybe these people, these crazed and bloodthirsty mortals, simply didn't understand. There fear had brainwashed them into thinking that they had to end a whole race, just to save themselves.

"Uh, you have to burn them," Percy said, because it was the first thing that came to mind. "Here, I can take him - I mean, uh, it back to my house, and burn it there."

"Nah, let's build a bonfire!" a man cried, thrusting his fist in there. "Make it ceremonious. Tell those damned gods not to mess with us again!" The crowd lifted its arms, shouting rally cries.

"No," Percy shouted, over them. He tried to keep his cool, ignore the jelly-legged sensation beneath him. "You - you don't want it smelling up the town," he said, at last. "I can take care of it, because, um, we're going on vacation pretty soon. The smell won't bother us." There was a great pause, and Percy held his breath. Finally, a chorus of nods shifted around the group, many of them infused with gratitude.

"Where do you live?" someone asked. "I don't think I've seen you here before."

"Uh... over on Jackson street?" he said, though no one seemed to catch the note of uncertainty. He did not know the real address and probably would not have told them if he had.

"That near here?"

"Pretty near, yeah," Percy said. He wiped a hand over his brow, and tried not to stare too hard at Tyson.

"And this brand of monsters are called 'Tyson', you said? I thought they were Cyclopses."

"No... Cyclopses are different," Percy improvised. "Bigger. You've got nothing to worry about with this one."

"Alright, well, thanks." The man slapped him on the shoulder, giving a wink of his brown eyes. "You need help carrying him?"

"No, that's alright," Percy said quickly, the pressure in his chest beginning to relent. "If you stay around, you might scare it, and then it'll run. You can go."

"Okay," the man said. "Come on, everybody. Let's get out of here. Give - what's your name?"

"Nico," Percy replied, as smoothly as if it had been his own. He hadn't bothered to remember the fake names, and no one knew he lived with Frederick, anyway.

"Give Nico your thanks." Clearly, this man was a leader of some kind. Everyone patted Percy's shoulder as they walked by, mouthing words of thanks. He smiled back to each one, sure he would vomit as much as Annabeth later. The thought of burning his brother in the fireplace, let alone the mob chasing him... it made Percy too sick to stand, and he found himself hugging a tree for support.

One by one the town vanished, returning to their homes like rats into holes. They're no better than rats, Percy thought fervently. His sweat turned cold, piercing his scalp with frozen rivulets.

He collapsed against a tree, short of breath, and gave them a few extra seconds. "Tyson… buddy…" he murmured, hands waving weakly into the air. "I'm here, okay? Just give them another minute."

"Okay," Tyson sniffled. "Is that – is that really you, Percy?" He started to roll over, but Percy shushed him.

"Not yet, okay? Another minute." He dropped to his knees, wondering where the bout of exhaustion had come from. They'd been eating regularly, sleeping regularly. Maybe it was just stress.

He glanced up at the sky, the seductively even blue. Was Zeus still up there? After the wedding, what Hera told them, he didn't know. Could Zeus rule without his lightening bolt? Could he rule amidst the blind hatred of mortals? "Okay," he murmured, crawling forward. "I think we're cleared. Tyson… gods, I missed you," he said, shutting his eyes for a second.

"I missed you too, Percy," Tyson sobbed, his classically slow English a comfort. He turned over, revealing the thick layer of dirt on his face. From this angle, with his one eye rimmed in red, Percy understood how he might have seemed scary to strangers. "I came here to tell you – "

"Whoa, hold up there, buddy," Percy murmured, already settling back into his old rhythm with the Cyclops. "We better get back to the house."

"House?" Tyson said, hopefully.

"Yeah…" Percy muttered, dropping his voice. "We're staying with Annabeth's dad, actually, but my mom's here too. Oh Tyson, why were you in the middle of a town?" His heart sank, imagining the scope of terrible things that could have happened. "You could have been killed," he said sullenly, swallowing as he hard as he could.

"You cannot kill a Cyclops, Percy," Tyson said, his voice comparable to a know-it-all two year old's. "And I needed to talk to you."

"Then why – okay, yeah, never mind," Percy sighed, realizing it was pointless to argue. "Let's get back, Annabeth will be worried." He clapped a hand to Tyson's arm, leading them in the right direction.

"Annabeth is here?" Tyson said, his face bright with glee. "Oh good!"

"What?" Percy asked. "You didn't think she'd be with me?" They ascended the cobblestone path to Frederick's pseudo-home.

"We did not know," Tyson replied. "But I can tell the others that both of you are found!"

"What?" Percy asked, suddenly anxious. "Some people aren't found?"

"I have much to tell you, brother."

A/N: All for now! Please review :).


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